


Mystic Earth

by Keolah



Category: Arthurian Legend, Christian Bible, Werewolf: The Apocalypse
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Humor, No Dialogue, POV First Person, Story Fragment, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-01-03
Updated: 2007-01-03
Packaged: 2017-11-16 20:54:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/543713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keolah/pseuds/Keolah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A bit of history and description for an alternate universe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mystic Earth

Ah, Earth. Home sweet home, right? Though I daresay that things have been a bit stranger than usual around here of late. But that's what you're here to hear about, isn't it? Of course. 

I suppose you might be wondering just who I am, as well. Just call me Jack. That's all you need to know. Jack. Okay? Suffice it to say I've got good reason to know about all this stuff, even if I wasn't directly involved for the most part. 

So, let's start at the beginning then, shall we? There's always been magic in the world, to some extent or another. Sometimes it's just been stronger and more visible than others. That all depends upon something we call the Curtain, which separates the overlapping realms of the Material and the Spiritual. If the Curtain is thick and strong, it's difficult to use magic because it's harder to gain access to those spiritual energies. When the Curtain is thin and weak, it's easy to use magic and for various supernatural beings to exist in the Material for extended periods of time. Got all that? Good. 

Now, while some might think it justified to place the strengthening of the Curtain entirely upon the Church, that's not wholly fair or accurate. While the Church condemned some things as witchcraft or the work of demons, they did espouse their own miracles and the like. They weren't really particularly consistant about it now were they? Neither can it be blamed upon the rise of science, although that also was a heavy factor in many cases. 

As you might guess, the Curtain is psychoreactive, much as the Spiritual Realm is shaped by the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs of those living in the Material Realm. It's as much a place of emotion and imagination as the Material is a place of form and function. Take a metaphor of the spirit world as something of an ocean, fluid and forever in motion, but constantly shaped by the land around it. Following upon that metaphor, the Curtain is like the surface of the water, which, for several hundred years, was effectively covered by a sheet of solid ice, forcing anyone wanting to access the Spiritual Realm to break through that ice first. 

It's not much wonder, considering that, that by the 20th century access to the spirit world was limited and most people didn't seriously believe much of it was even possible or existed anymore. We called this the Iron Curtain, a fair analogy with another one by that name in existence in the Material Realm at the time. But there were still those who believed, between deeply spiritual church-goers, New Age pagans, conspiracy theorists, UFO watchers, cryptozoologists, otherkin, and any number of assorted people. 

Perhaps it was in part due to some of this that a small tear appeared in the Curtain in 1999, bringing forth with it an object from the spirit realm, from dream and memory. When a New Mexico man who was apparently supposed to be the reincarnation of King Arthur found the magical, glowing sword sticking out of a rock in the middle of the desert, he certainly must have thought he'd finally cracked. But that was only the beginning. 

This Arthur fellow and that sword were supposed to have been key to bringing down the Iron Curtain and reintegrating the two worlds. Well, while his actions pretty much shattered the Iron Curtain, certainly, he pretty much left the world in chaos while he ran off to Tahiti with a hot elf chick instead. Can't say I blame him, myself. 

So then. Things eventually settle down a bit and people get on with their lives, like they always do, albeit slightly stranger and more dangerous lives. Through the rent Curtain, a wide variety of minor spirits have been able to access the Material Realm, from elves and faeries, imps and shapeshifters. I must say it was rather amusing to see the shocked look on someone's face who had long firmly believed themselves to be a werewolf when they suddenly sprouted fur and claws, not to mention the surprise of their friends and neighbors! 

The more powerful spirits, however, remain unable to exert their direct influence upon the Material Realm, being forced to rely instead upon their lesser servants and mortals to carry out their wishes. Perhaps the most influential of these are the angels and demons, who both seek claim over the souls of humans. Why are they so interested in the Material Realm, you must be wondering? Well, as you recall I explained above, the Material directly affects the Spiritual, and in order for them to gain dominance in the Spiritual, they must gain dominance in the Material. 

Now, the angels and demons are hardly the only groups of spirits trying to influence the world directly or indirectly. Some lesser groups also vie for dominance, although due to the strong influence of Christianity, the angelic and demonic dichotomy is the primary force in those parts of the world. Many of the lesser groups seek mainly for survival rather than dominance, faced with the very real possibility of being wiped out and forgotten, as many mythical creatures had been over the years. 

And in the midst of the spiritual warfare, standing at the fulcrum of it, there are humans born with the spark of innate magic, a connection to the spirit world only now able to fully manifest. Standing in the gap between the Material and the Spiritual, it's these people, witches and wizards, sorcerers, necromancers, warlocks and enchanters, who may be able to bridge two worlds and heal ancient wounds. They may be the ones to decide whether the world falls to good or evil, remains in balance, or takes another path entirely. 

There are many worlds, many timelines, and many possibilities. We call this one _Mystic Earth_.


End file.
